Pivotally mounted porthole blackout ventilator including a motordriven fan



A1311] 8, 1947. J u I 2,418,760

PIVOTALLY MOUNTED PORTHOLE BLACKOUT VENTILATOR INCLUDING A MOTOR-DRIVEN FAN Filed May 3, 1943 Y 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Aprll 8, 1947. v cucc PIVOTALLY MOUNTED PORIHOLE BLACKOUT VENTILATOR INCLUDING A MOTOR-DRIVEN FAN Filed May 3, 1943 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Apnl 8, 1947. v. J. cuccl 2,418,760

PIVOTALLY MOUNTED PORTHOLE BLACKOUT VENTILATOR INCLUDING A MOTOR-DRIVEN FAN Filed May 3, 1943 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 April 8, 1947. v J cucc 2,418,760

PIVOTALLY MOUNTED onrnoua BLACKOUT VENTILATOR mcmmme A MOTOR-DRIVEN mu Filed May 3, 1943 V 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 ,z g' y flew z'az gzzaca j Patented Apr. 8, 1947 2,413,760 r r i c PIVOTALLY MOUNTED PGRTHOLE BLACK- OUT VENTILATOR INCLUDING A MOTOR- DRIVEN FAN Victor J. Cucci. Brooklyn, N. Y., assignor to lllg Electric Ventilating Company, a corporation oi Delaware Application May 3, 1943, Serial No. 485,468

9 Claims.

This invention relates to ventilating means for use with portholes in ships for freshening the air in ship cabins, staterooms and compartments;

In conventional ships certain of the compartments. rooms. and cabins are located so that access to the outside air is obtainable only through portholes. These, of course, are usually comparatively small. They limit greatly the amount of ventilation or air freshening that can be had in such compartments, rooms, or cabins. Each porthole is provided with suitable closures generally in the form of a lens sash and a dead cover which are hinged on the porthole frame. In stormy weather or in war zones, these closures seal the opening and preclude any possibility of light or ventilation through the porthole.

The comfort and safety of such compartments, rooms, and cabins would be enhanced greatly by providing means for circulating air through the porthole but at the same time providing a shield against the admission of light through the porthole. Such means must be of a type and arrangement that could be used in very stormy weather or where conditions required a full blackout of the ships lights.

It is, therefore, the main object of this invention to provide a ventilator adapted to be swingably mounted at the side of a porthole to permit the shifting of the ventilator into closed registering position with the porthole when the port hole closures are retracted; to provide an improved dead-light structure for use with the ventilator and porthole so as to exclude all light in the cabin from being observable through the porthole, but creating a minimum interference with the effective flow of air through the porthole; to provide an improved mounting for such ventilator whereby it may be swung into registering position with the porthole for either drawing the air into the cabin or exhausting it therefrom; to provide such an improved mounting as will also permit the ventilator to be swung into a retracted position within the room when said porthole is closed and allow said ventilator to circulate the air within the cabin; and to provide an improved ventilator of this kind which is simple and economical in construction, capable of easy and convenient mounting, and efiective in operation.

In the specific embodiment herein shown:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of an improved ventilator of this kind set in the porthole opening, the porthole closures being held in their retracted positions;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan view taken on the, same line as Fig. 2, but with the porthole closed and the ventilator swung into its retracted position for use in circulating the air within the cabin.

Fig; 4 is a sideelevation of the parts shown in Fig.

Fig. 5 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the hinge support for the ventilator and the contiguous adjustable mechanism taken on the line 5'.i of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view through the ventilator taken on the line G-@ of Fig. 1;

Fig. 7 is a view partly in elevation and partly sectional of the parts as positioned in Fig. 1 but showing an auxiliary dead-light and weather protection arranged in the porthole opening; and

Fig. 8 is a perspective view partly broken away of one of the annular rings, a nested series of which form the dead-lights.

In the particular embodiment shown herein, a ventilator 9 is pivotally mounted on a' bracket ill by which it is swingabl supported at the side of a porthole l i so that the ventilator may be moved into and out of aligned and closely fitting registration with the porthole when it is uncovered. A main dead-light i2 is provided for the ventilator and an auxiliary dead-light i3 is provided for the porthole itself. Such dead-lights are constructed to afford the greatest possible flow of air consistent with the prevention of light penetration through the porthole.

The porthole structure H, to the attachment of which this improved ventilator mechanism has been particularly designed, is of the more or less conventional type used on ships. In the main, it comprises a ring member i 6 fitted against the side wall iii of a ship with an annular flange l6 extending out through said side wall and constituting the porthole opening. The usual .lens sash I! and dead cover iii are swingably supported on the ring M by means of a hinge pin. Sets of diametrically opposed lugs iii are mounted on the lens sash I! and the dead cover It coact with 'dog bolts 2| to tightly seal the lens sash against the rubber gasket 20 in the face of the ring I'lil fThe dog bolts 2! are pivotally secured by dog pins" 22 in the lugs 23 integrally formed on the inner face of the porthole ring It. The usual thumb nuts 24 screw down against'the lugs IQ for securing the sash and cover in place.

The lens sash l1 and dead cover it may be held in their retracted position for opening the porthole H by means of a hook 25. Such a hook is suitably attached to the ship wall l5 and adapted to have its transverse outer end inserted through an aperture formed in a lug 26 integral on the lens sash I].

The ventilator 9 comprises an open-ended housing 28 wherein is mounted the fan 29 driven by the motor 30.

The ventilator housing 28, as herein shown, is made up of two cylindrically formed members 29 and 29' having inner portions overlapping, as mostclearly indicated in Fig. 6, and being welded or bolted together as may be found most convenient. The outer ends of the ventilator housing members 29 and 29' each have inwardly extending flanges II and I2 which are offset slightly inward so as to provide annular shoulders 33 and 34 positioned toengage the gasket 2! on the porthole ring l4. A pair of lugs 35 and 38 are secured on the outer surfaces of the respective parts of the housing members 2! and 29'. These are set to permit engagement with one of the dog bolts II for the purpose of sealing the respective shoulders 33 and 34 against the gasket 20 when the ventilator is to be located in registration with the open porthole H.

The fan I. is preferably of the form and construction shown in Patent No. 2,212,041, issued to R. V. Pfautsch on August 20, 1940. It is guarded by means of a suitable grille 31 secured to the flange l: of the housing member 2!.

The fan motor 30' may be of the conventional type. It is shown herein supported on the interior of the housing 28 by means of suitable radial supports 38 with the end opposite the fan enclosed by a hood I! which in addition to providing a protector for that end of the motor shuts out the passage of light rays and air through the corresponding central area or the housing 28. An electrical connection 39 leads from the motor SI which in Fig. 1 is shown plugged into a conventional switch controlled outlet 4|.

The supporting bracket ll is made up of two 7 of the pin 41 may be screwed for securing the motor housing in a fixed angular position with regard to the yoke member 4|.

The second pair of these interlocking means comprises a similar threaded pin 8! having a hand wheel 52 secured thereto and screwed into an integral extension 53 on the hinge member 42. A companion extension 54 integral on the adjacent part of the yoke member 4| is provided with a series of apertures 55 into which the pin may be screwed for locating the bracket member 4| in certain angular positions relative to hinge member 42.

The third pair of these interlocking connections comprises a threaded pin 58 having a suitable hand wheel I! screwed into the lower lug 4B which supports the hinge member 42. The adjacent inner end of the hinge member 42 is provided with a series of apertures 68 into which the pin it may be screwed for fixing the annular pgsition oi the hinge member 42 on its axis pins The dead lights It or it are critical parts of this ventilator structure when it becomes desirable to use this ventilator mechanism on an open porthole and at the same time preclude the possibility of light shining through the porthole. The two dead lights, one mounted in the ventilatorand the other mounted in the porthole. are of identical-structure.

Each of these dead lights is made up of a series of nested louvers 59.- Each louver is in the form of anannulus of tapered form so that the diameter at one of the lateral edges is larger than the diameter at the other lateral edge. A portion of each annulus intermediate these lateral edges is upset at I with the diameter of the upset greater than the diameter of the larger open end necessary to be moved out of position to permit the closing of the porthole H.

The hinge member 42 is connected by pivot pins 44 between lugs 46 formed at one side of the porthole ring. The positioning of this pivotal connection of the hinge member 42 in cooperation with the pivotal connection of the ventilator housing 28 to the yoke member 4! is such that when the lens sash l1 and dead cover it are in closed position the ventilator may be swung out into the room to permits its use for circulating air within the room. 0n the other hand, these parts so coact that when the lens sash and dead cover are in their retracted positions to open the porthole, either end of the ventilator housing 28 may be placed in closed aligned registration with thexopen ing in the porthole ring H.

.To make possible these latter adjustments and to facilitate the setting of the ventilator in any desired position, three pairs of coacting adjustable interlocking means are provided. One pair of these interlocking means is interposed between the bracket 4! and the ventilator housing 28. A second pair is placed between the bracket members 4| and 42. A third pair relates the hinge member 42 to the supporting lugs 48.

The first pair of interlocking means comprises a threaded pin 41 having a hand wheel 4! fixed thereto and screwed into the yoke member of the bracket It on the underside adjacent to its pivotal connection to the ventilator housing 28. A plate 49 is secured on the adjacent part of the ventilator housing 28 which is provided with a series of apertures 50 into which the inner end of the annulus.

For the motor housing, a series of these annuli of successively increased diameter are concentrically nested, one within the other, at one end of the housing about the motor hood 34' and between it and the housing 28 with the inner annulus resting on said hood 3! and with the upset part it of the outermost annulus located radially beyond the inner edge of the flange 3| of the housing 28.

For the porthole il a similar series of these annuli of successively increasing diameter are concentrically nested about a central hood member li' similar to the motor hood 38'. Here. as with the annuli in the housing 28, the innermost annulus rests on the hood II and the upset ID of the outermost annulus contacts the bore of the sleeve 82 which supports these annuli in the porthole frame.

As will be noted from Figures 6 and 7, the nesting of these upset annuli is such that the circumference of the upset portion 60 of one annulus is located radially outward from the circumference of the lateral edge with the smaller diameter of the second next outward annulus. Such an arrangement of the annuli thus provides a plurality of concentric axially-disposed sinuous passages having the boundary walls of each such passage so closely adjacent that they obstruct the transmission of direct light rays axially through said housing or porthole yet permit the'flow of air through said sinuous passages with negligible air turbulence.

Moreover, such concentrically arranged annular passages make it possible to place the dead lights I! and i3 directly adjacent to each other as shown in Figure 7, whereby the annular pasaua'mo sages of the two dead lights are in substantial registration with each other. Thus, the two dead lights cooperate to obstruct the transmission of direct light rays axially through the housing and porthole, yet permit the flow ofair in either direction with negligible air turbulence at any point of its passage through the housing or porthole.

In order to provide for the positioning of the auxiliary dead-light l3 in the open porthole ii, the louvers 59 are secured in the sleeve 82 having a flange 63 on its inner end provided with an annular shoulder 64 on its outer face and seating a gasket 65 on its inner face. The shoulder N is positioned so as to engage the gasket 20 on the porthole ring i4 and the gasket 65 is positioned so as to receive the shoulders 33 or 34 on the van tilator housing 28.

In order to provide additional protection against weather, the outer end of the sleeve 82 is equipped with a series of horizontally disposed louvers 66 and an eyebrow or visor 61.

The operation and use of this ventilator is believed to be more or less obvious from the foregoing description. When the porthole Ii is closed by means of the lens sash l1 and dead cover IS, the ventilator 3 will be retracted into the room. Its operation at that time will provide for a circulation of the air within such room. When it is desired to provide for outside ventilation, the lens sash and dead cover It will be lifted into the position shown in Figs. 1 and 4. Thereupon the ventilator 3 may be swung into position to register either end of the housing 28 in closed alignment with the opening through the porthole ring l4. By suitable adjustment of the several interlocking means, this registration may be such that either the shoulder 33 or 34 on the ventilator housing 28 will have perfect sealing position against the gasket l8. One of the dog bolts 2i then may be placed in engagement with the lug 35 or 36 on the ventilator housing, and the corresponding thumb bolt 24 screwed down against the lug so as to seal the shoulder against the gasket.

When the ventilator is placed in the position shown in Fig. 6, it will exhaust air from the room through the porthole opening, whereas when the position of the ventilator is reversed, it will draw air from the outside into the room.

Since further changes may be made in the foregoing constructions and different embodiments of my invention may be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter described hereinbefore or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. A ventilator for use with a standard ship porthole comprising, a cylindrical housing open at its ends, a motor-driven fan mounted within said housing, a plurality of louvers each formed with a portion oifset between its lateral edges and so arranged in nested relationship in the annular space between said fan motor and housing as to form a plurality of axially-disposed sinuous passages with the boundary walls thereof so adjacent that they obstruct the transmission of direct light rays axially through said housing but permit the flow of air with negligible turbulence, and means for clamping either end of said housing in airand light-tight engagement with said porthole frame when the normal closures for said porthole are retracted.

2. A ventilator for use with a standard ship porthole comprising, a cylindrical housing open at its ends, a motor-driven fan mounted within said housing, a plurality of annuli of successively increasing diameters each of which is formed with an arcuate oilset between the lateral edges thereof and so concentrically nested one within another in the space between said fan motor and said housing with the circumference of the oflset portion of one annulus located radially outward of the circumference of at least one of the lateral edges of the next outward annulus as to provide a plurality of concentric axially-disposed sinuous passages with the boundary walls thereof so adjacent that they obstruct the transmission of direct light rays axially through said housing but permit the fiow of air with negligible turbulence, and means for clamping either end of said housing in airand light-tight engagement with said porthole frame when the normal closures for said porthole are retracted.

3. A' ventilator for use with a standard ship porthole comprising, a cylindrical housing open at its ends, a motor-driven fan mounted within said housing, a plurality of annuli of successively increasing diameters each annulus having the diameter of one lateral edge greater than the diameter of the other lateral edge and formed with an arcuate offset between said lateral edges, said annuli being so concentrically nested one within another in the space between said fan motor and housing with the circumference of the offset portion of one annulus located radially outward of the circumference of the lateral edge with the smaller diameter of the second next outward annulus as to provide a plurality of concentric axially-disposed sinuous passages with the boundary walls thereof so adjacent that they obstruct the transmission of direct light rays axially through said housing but permit the flow of air with negligible turbulence, and means for clamping either end of said housing in airand light-tight engagement with said porthole frame when the normal closures for said porthole are retracted.

4. A ventilator for use with a standard ship porthole comprising, a cylindrical housing open at its ends, a motor-driven fan mounted within said housing, a plurality of annuli of successively increasing diameters each annulus having the diameter of one lateral edge greater than the diameter of the other lateral edge and formed with an arcuate offset between said lateral edges, said annuli being so concentrically'nested one within another in the space between said fan motor and housing with the circumference of the offset portion of one annulus located radially outward of the circumference of the lateral edge with the smaller diameter of the second next outward annulus as, to provide a plurality of concentric axially-disposed sinuous passages with the boundary walls thereof so adjacent that they obstruct the transmission of direct light rays axially through said housing but permit the flow of air with negligible turbulence, a plurality of similarly-formed and similarly-nested annuli arranged in said porthole, and a supporting bracket pivotally connected to said housing to permit either end thereof to be clamped in airand light-tight engagement with said porthole frame when the normal closures for said porthole are retracted whereby the concentric axially-disposed passages between the annuli of said housing are in substantial axial registration with the concentric axially-disposed passages between the annuli in said porthole so that the two sets of annuli supplement each other in obaxially through said housing and porthole and in' permitting the flow of air in either direction through said housing and porthole with negligible turbulence.

5. A ventilator for use with a standard ship porthole comprising, a cylindrical housing open at its ends. a motor-driven tan mounted within said housing on radially-arranged supports and having the end of the motor opposite the fan enclosed in a hood located axially outward from said radial motor supports, a plurality of louvers each formed with a portion offset between its lateral edges and so arranged in nested relationship in the annular space between said motor hood and said housing as to form a plurality of axially-disposed sinuous passages in the space between said hood and housing with the boundary walls of said passages so adjacent that they obstruct the transmission 01' direct light rays axially through said housing but permit the flow or air with negligible turbulence, and means for clamping said housing in place on a porthole frame when the normal closures for said porthole are retracted.

6. A ventilator for use with a standard ship porthole comprising, a cylindrical housing open at its ends, a motor-driven tan mounted within said housing on radially-arranged supports and having the end'oi' the motor opposite the fan enclosed in a hood located axially outward from said radial motor supports, a plurality of annuli of successively increasing diameters each annulus having the diameter of one lateral edge greater than the diameter of the other lateral edge and formed with an arcuate offset between said lateral edges, said annuli being so concentrically nested one within another in the space between said motor hood and said housing with the circumference of said upset portion of one annulus located radially outward of thecircumference or the lateral edge with the smaller diameter of the second next outward annulus as to provide a plurality of concentric axially-disposed sinuous passages between said motor hood and housing with the boundary walls thereof so adjacent that they obstruct the transmission of direct light rays axially through said housing but permit the flow of air with negligible turbulence, and a supporting bracket pivotally connected to said housing to permit either end thereof to be clamped in airand light-tight engagement with said porthole i'rame when the normal closures for said portholes are retracted.

7. A ventilator for use with a standard ship porthole comprising, a cylindrical housing open at its ends, a motor-driven fan mounted within said housing, a plurality of louvers each formed with a portion onset between its lateral edges and so arranged in nested relationship in the annular space between said fan motor and housing as to form a plurality oi? axially-disposed sinuous passages with the boundary walls thereor so adjacent that they obstruct the transmission 01' direct light rays axially through said housing but permit the flow of air with negligible turbulence, and recessed lugs so positioned on said housing as to receive locking bolts normally provided for the usual porthole closures whereby either end of said housing may be clamped in airand light-tight engagement with said porthole frame when the normal closures for said porthole are retracted.

8. A ventilator for use with a standard ship porthole comprising, a cylindrical housing open at its ends, a motor-driven fan mounted within saidhousing, a plurality of annuli oi successively increasing diameters each annulus having the diameter or one lateral edge greater than the dimeter 01' the other lateral edge and formed with an arcuate oflset between said lateral edegs, said annuli being so concentrically nested one within another in the space between said fan motor and housing with the circumference of the offset portion of one annulus located radially outward of the circumference of the lateral edge with the smaller diameter or the second next outward annulus as to provide a plurality of concentric axially-disposed sinuous passages with the boundary walls thereof so adjacent that they obstruct .thetransmission of direct light rays radially through said housing but permit the flow of air with negligible-turbulence, and one or more recessed lugs so positioned on said housing as to receive the locking bolts normally provided for the usual porthole closures whereby either end of said housing may be clamped in airand lighttlght engagement with said porthole frame when the normal closures for said porthole are retracted.

9. A ventilator for use with a standard ship porthole comprising, a cylindrical housing open at its ends, a motor-driven fan mounted within said housing, light-obstructing means for said porthole comprising a plurality of spaced louvers arranged within the circumference of said housing and each of which louvers has a portion intermediate its inlet and discharge edges oilset from the plane connecting saidedges, the said plurality of louvers being arranged with the offset portions in spaced nested relationship so as to provide a plurality of axially-disposed sinuous passages with the boundary walls of each passage so adjacent that they obstruct the transmission of the direct light rays axially throughsaid porthole but do not unduly restrict the flow of air produced by said tan, and means for clamping said housing in airand light-tight engagement with said porthole frame when the normal closure for said porthole is retracted.

VICTOR J. CUCCI.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,077,175 Kornbau et al. Apr. 13, 1937 1,096,694 DeVilbiss May 12, 1914 1,917,327 Preston July 11, 1933 1,272,202 Bradley July 9, 1918 2,309,255 Rowland Jan. 26, 1943 38,342 Sutton et al Apr. 28, 1863 2,011,419 Ross Aug 13, 1935 2,268,801 Carlton Jan. 6, 1942 2,279,271 Williams Apr. 7, 1942 694,648 Jordan et al Mar. 4, 1902 1,703,437 Wills Feb. 26, 1929 2,054,526 Sutclifie Sept. 15, 1936v 2,337,799 Carver Dec. 28, 1943 2,307,586 Herbster Jan. 5, 1943 2,364,378 Levinsen Dec. 5, 1944 2,378,012 Herbster June 12, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 27,781 British 1907 British NOV. 19, 1928 

